NIGHTINGALE ROAD 



Troops of them come here, travelling along the 

 great hedge by the wayside, and all seem to prefer 

 the outside trees and bushes to the interior of the 

 copse. This great hedge is as wide as a country 

 double mound, though it has but one ditch j the 

 thick hawthorn, blackthorn, elder, and bramble 

 the oaks, elms, ashes, and firs form, in fact, almost 

 a cover of themselves. 



In the early spring, when the east wind rushes 

 with bitter energy across the plains, this immense 

 hedge, as far as it extends, shelters the wayfarer, 

 the road being on the southern side, so that he can 

 enjoy such gleams of sunshine as appear. In 

 summer the place is, of course for the same rea- 

 son, extremely warm, unless the breeze chances to 

 come up strong from the west, when it sweeps over 

 the open cornfields fresh and sweet. Stoats and 

 weasels are common on the mound, or crossing 

 the road to the corn ; they seem more numerous 

 in autumn, and I fear leveret and partridge are 

 thinned by them. 



Mice abound; in spring they are sometimes up 

 in the blackthorn bushes, perhaps for the young 

 buds. In summer they may often be heard rushing 

 along the furrows across the wayside sward, scarce 

 concealed by the wiry grass. Flowers are very 

 local in habit ; the spurge, for instance, which is 

 common in a road parallel to this, is not to be 

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